TL;DR
Security tooling costs range from $0 (free tiers) to $50,000+/year (enterprise). Most startups can build solid security with $0-2,000/year in the early stages. Prioritize: password manager, 2FA, secret scanning, and automated vulnerability scanning. Add penetration testing and compliance tools as you grow. The best security investment is often free: secure development practices.
$0 Cost of essential security tools for a pre-seed startup (using free tiers) Source: Free tier analysis of major security tools
Security Tools by Category and Cost
Essential: Password Management
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Tier |
|---|---|---|
| 1Password Teams | - | $7.99/user/month |
| Bitwarden Teams | Yes (limited) | $4/user/month |
| LastPass Teams | - | $4/user/month |
Essential: Secret Scanning
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Tier |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Secret Scanning | Yes (public repos) | Included in Enterprise |
| GitGuardian | Yes (25 devs) | $40/dev/month |
| TruffleHog | Open source | - |
Essential: Vulnerability Scanning
| Tool | Free Tier | Paid Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Snyk | Yes (200 tests/month) | $52/dev/month |
| Dependabot | Yes (GitHub) | - |
| OWASP ZAP | Open source | - |
| CheckYourVibe | Yes (free tier) | See pricing |
Security Budget by Stage
Tools That Are Worth Paying For
Password Manager (Always)
Even at $5/user/month, password managers are the highest-ROI security investment. They eliminate password reuse, the leading cause of credential-stuffing attacks.
Penetration Testing (Series A+)
Annual penetration tests catch vulnerabilities automated scanners miss. At $3,000-15,000, they are expensive but catch the issues that cause the biggest breaches.
Cyber Insurance (Seed+)
At $500-5,000/year, cyber insurance covers breach costs that could bankrupt a startup. The ROI is clear once you understand breach cost probabilities.
ROI insight: A $50/month security scanning tool that catches one critical vulnerability before production pays for itself 100x over.
Free Tools That Are Genuinely Good
- Dependabot: Automatic dependency updates, catches 80%+ of known vulnerabilities
- GitHub Secret Scanning: Catches exposed credentials in public repos
- OWASP ZAP: Open-source web application scanner
- TruffleHog: Finds secrets in git history
- Mozilla Observatory: Free website security scanner
- Have I Been Pwned: Check if emails/passwords are in breaches
Free tier limitations: Free tiers often limit scanning frequency, number of projects, or team size. They work well for small teams but become limiting as you scale.
How much should startups spend on security tools?
Pre-seed startups can operate with $0-500/year using free tiers. Seed stage should budget $1,000-5,000/year. Series A and beyond typically spend $5,000-50,000/year depending on compliance requirements and data sensitivity.
What security tools do startups actually need?
Essential tools include: password manager, 2FA/MFA, automated security scanning, secrets management, and basic monitoring. Most of these have free tiers for small teams.
Are free security tools good enough for startups?
Free tiers are often sufficient for early-stage startups. GitHub secret scanning, free password managers, and open-source scanning tools provide solid protection. Paid tools become necessary when you need more features, better support, or compliance documentation.
Security Scanning That Scales With You
Start with our free tier and upgrade as your needs grow.
Start Free Scan